Brutal Heir (Court University 1)

That was because I hadn’t been talking to him, lying to him a lot lately by keeping things from him. With this whole thing with Greer, I’d basically become obsessed over keeping what she’d seen that night at the frat quiet, but eventually, it turned into something completely else. More obsession.

Then later bullshit.

She’d put me completely on fire, and I could only be mad at myself. I’d shared that part of myself with her, gave her details about my family when it’d been none of her goddamn business, and she’d not only used it against me but betrayed me. She’d actually had the nerve to text and call me after I’d left her dorm yesterday. She’d said she was sorry for prying, just wanted to talk to me like she had a fucking right. She’d betrayed my trust, point blank. My jaw moved. “School’s not bothering me.”

“So what is?”

I shook my head, and once again, he smiled. His hands rested on his cane. “You know you are so much like your father. So strong-willed.”

Chuckling, I scratched the side of my neck with a finger. “You say that all the time.”

“Because it’s true.” He tapped his cane in my direction before using it to bring his arm around me. “Couldn’t take care of him. No one could because…”

“He was too busy being stubborn,” I said, having heard this all before. “And taking care of everyone else.”

“A fierce protector, that one.” His eyes warmed. “He’d run into the fire for someone he cared about, getting so deep before he realized doing so could swallow him whole. By then, of course, it’s always too late, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” I’d heard this story too, many, many times. Dad had reacted. He hadn’t waited around, and Gramps said when Dad had been a kid, that shit had gotten him in trouble—often. I could definitely relate. My hands slid into his pockets. “But how do you keep from getting burnt?”

“You don’t, and that makes for a hell of a life, doesn’t it?”

A hell of a short life in my dad’s case, gone way too soon. His accident had nothing to do with him being rash, but he had been adventurous. Always wanting to take chances, and that was something even I remembered about him.

Grandpa shook me and, after directing Joshua back, asked if I wanted to get dinner before leaving the city. I was always fucking famished so of course, I said sure. We had a favorite burger place we both liked to go when we were in town, and after Joshua had our car come around and filled with flowers, we headed over to it from the market, the sedan fragrant with my grandpa’s blooms.

“Have you thought any more about your mom?” Gramps asked me inside. I’d been on my phone again and looked up. He frowned. “I don’t want to pressure you but…”

The decision did need to be made, and I needed to stop being such a goddamn priss and make it. Maybe if I did let Mom go, we both could move on. Grandfather and I would be able to grieve, and Mom, well, she could be with Dad in our family plot. Letting her go was the responsible thing to do.

My hand gripped my phone. “Probably should.”

“Yeah?” Leaning in, Grandfather squeezed my shoulder. “I just don’t want the decision plaguing you. I feel like it has a potential to be that.”

He was right, of course, and even in this short time of consideration, that’s exactly what it’d been doing. I think I knew that’s where things were heading all along, and there’d definitely been a reason I hadn’t been able to go and see her lately. It just hurt seeing her that way. It hurt every damn time. I nodded again. “I think it’s best. And you’re right it’s… it’s time.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Grandfather didn’t say anything else as he let go of my shoulder, but I knew he’d take care of all the arrangements. He was like my dad and me, that protector part we obviously got from somewhere. Where I failed in the end was I decided to protect the wrong person, and as we headed toward the restaurant, I decided to ask my grandpa a question. He was always asking about what kinds of programs and departments I felt needed attention on campus, funding. Since I was there, he felt I had insights where he didn’t, and in the past, I’d been reluctant to share my thoughts. Even more so about the departments money should be taken away from, scaled back…

“Grandfather, I think some money should be moved around. Money you give to the school?” I said, and once his brow lifted, I continued. “Obviously, this is just all my opinion. But I’m wondering if Pembroke needs as much as they do in some departments…”

Chapter Twenty-One

Greer

I spotted Knight on a transition between classes. I was cutting across the quad, and he was walking along the concrete path, his grandpa Gerald beside him. They were amongst a group, a bunch of other old guys also wearing suits and walking about this place like they owned it.

I guessed in a way they did.

I was hot fire as I bee-lined in that direction, unavailable to think straight. Hell, even see straight because if I had, I might have considered my next move. If I had, I wouldn’t have waltzed right up to Knight Reed…

And slapped him across his gorgeous face.

He hadn’t seen it coming at all, of course, gripping his jaw, and my hand burning at my side, and I literally thought about what I’d done after. I thought about what would come next and what that would mean. This guy had done a lot of damage already.

Well, I could do more.